Salinity is one of the major land degradation issues presently being faced in Australia.

Land and water are essential for agricultural production. Since European settlement of Australia around 100 million hectares (ha) of forest and woodland have been cleared, mostly for agricultural production (NFI 1998). Today, around 456 million ha, or 59% of land in Australia, are used for agriculture, making it the dominant form of land use. However, agricultural production has led to the degradation of soil and water quality in many regions. This degradation has taken many forms, including increasing levels of soil salinity, sodicity and acidity.

In recent years salinity has gained prominence as a national environmental issue (MDBC 1999; Commonwealth of Australia 2000; NLWRA 2001). While salinity, or the build-up of salts in the soil is a naturally occurring condition of the Australian landscape, it has been exacerbated by agricultural activities. There are two main forms of salinity, dryland and irrigated salinity. Dryland salinity is far more widespread. Salinity is caused by rising water tables brought about by the removal of vegetation and the excessive application of irrigation water.

The annual cost of salinity to agricultural industries through lost production in 2000 was estimated to be approximately $187m. While this cost is low compared to other land degradation issues, the impact of salinity is expected to increase in extent and severity in the coming years (NLWRA 2002a).

The impacts of salinity also extend beyond the agriculture sector. Roads, houses and water supply infrastructure are all degraded by it. In four states (New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia) the roads, buildings and/or water supply infrastructure of almost 70 towns are at risk of damage from salinity. Salinisation of freshwater rivers used for drinking water is increasingly an issue. It has been predicted that without effective salinity management, by 2020 the quality of Adelaide's drinking water will exceed heath standards for salt around 40% of the time (MDBC 1999). Biodiversity is also at risk through the loss and degradation of native vegetation. Across Australia around 630,000 ha of native vegetation and 80 wetlands, including wetlands of international importance, are at risk (NLWRA 2001).

2002 Land Management and Salinity Survey

In May 2002, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) conducted the Land Management and Salinity Survey as a supplement to the 2001 Agricultural Census. This survey was the largest of its type conducted in Australia. It collected information from farmers on the extent of land showing signs of salinity, the strategies used by farmers to manage and prevent salinity and some of the reasons and barriers to land management change.

The survey found almost 20,000 farms and 2 million ha of agricultural land were showing signs of salinity, with approximately 820,000 ha of land unable to be used for production (table 24.16). Western Australia had the highest number of farms (6,900 farms) and the greatest area of land (1.2 million ha) showing signs of salinity.

24.16 FARMS WITH LAND SHOWING SIGNS OF SALINITY - May 2002

Farms with
land showing
signs of
salinity

Proportion
of total
farms(a)

Land
showing
signs of
salinity

Proportion
of total
farm
area(b)

Salinised land unable to be
used for production

Proportion
of land showing
signs of salinity(c)

Proportion
of total
farm
area(d)

no.

%

ha

%

ha

%

%

New South Wales/ Australian Capital Territory

3,108

7.4

124,110

0.2

44,204

35.6

0.1

Victoria

4,834

13.7

138,540

1.1

60,222

43.5

0.5

Queensland

993

3.4

106,644

0.1

39,927

37.4

-

South Australia

3,328

21.6

*350,140

0.6

105,351

30.1

0.2

Western Australia

6,918

51.3

1,240,643

1.1

567,376

45.7

0.5

Tasmania

390

9.1

6,213

0.3

1,688

27.2

0.1

Northern Territory

8

2.0

2,316

-

2,253

97.3

-

Australia

19,579

13.9

1,968,606

0.4

821,022

41.7

0.2

(a) Farms with land showing signs of salinity as a proportion of total farms in the state/territory/Australia. Source for the denominator is data from the ABS 2001 Agricultural Census.(b) Land showing signs of salinity as a proportion of total farm land in the state/territory/Australia. Source for the denominator is data from the ABS 2001 Agricultural Census.(c) Salinised land unable to be used for production as a proportion of land showing signs of salinity.(d) Salinised land unable to be used for production as a proportion of total farm land in the state/territory/Australia. Source for the denominator is data from the ABS 2001 Agricultural Census.

Source: Salinity on Australian Farms, 2002 (4615.0).

Farms primarily involved with the production of beef cattle, sheep and grains accounted for 16,000 farms (or 82%) showing signs of salinity, and 1.9 million ha or 97% of the agricultural land showing signs of salinity (table 24.17). Non-irrigated farms accounted for 1.8 million ha or 93% of the agricultural land showing signs of salinity.

24.17 LAND SHOWING SIGNS OF SALINITY, By industry - May 2002

Farms with
land showing signs of
salinity

Proportion
of total
farms in industry(a)

Land
showing
signs of
salinity

Proportion
of total farm
area in
industry(b)

Salinised land
unable to be
used for
production

Proportion of
land showing signs of
salinity(c)

Proportion of total farm
area in
industry(d)

no.

%

ha

%

ha

%

%

Irrigated farms

Nurseries and flowers

*35

1.6

*543

0.5

*118

21.8

0.1

Vegetables

*349

8.3

2,685

0.3

1,165

43.4

0.1

Grapevines

*504

8.3

2,766

0.6

*1,133

41.0

0.2

Fruit

217

3.6

1,697

0.2

662

39.0

0.1

Grain

411

17.9

18,393

0.6

*10,585

57.6

0.3

Mixed grain and beef/sheep

364

23.8

24,897

0.8

8,001

32.1

0.3

Beef and/or sheep

698

11.7

58,360

0.6

13,697

23.5

0.2

Dairy

1,005

15.8

19,895

1.3

7,361

37.0

0.5

Other livestock

*47

7.2

*1,150

0.4

*852

74.1

0.3

Cotton

81

10.4

n.a.

0.1

n.a.

n.a.

0.2

Other crops

287

9.0

4,314

0.6

1,560

36.2

0.2

Other industries

51

7.7

*1,318

0.7

*451

34.2

0.2

Total irrigated farms

4,049

10.2

137,539

0.6

50,369

36.6

0.2

Non-irrigated farms

Nurseries and flowers

*57

4.3

487

0.4

**240

49.2

0.2

Vegetables

*13

1.5

*89

0.1

*32

35.9

0.0

Grapevines

**84

11.0

**2,851

5.1

**2,780

97.5

4.9

Fruit

**18

0.7

*263

0.2

**260

98.9

0.2

Grain

4,692

33.5

627,616

2.5

398,657

63.5

1.6

Mixed grain and beef/sheep

4,578

31.8

375,145

1.6

179,981

48.0

0.7

Beef and/or sheep

5,396

10.5

809,124

0.2

180,964

22.4

0.1

Dairy

300

4.6

4,927

0.2

1,488

30.2

0.1

Other livestock

125

4.1

4,654

0.1

*3,275

70.4

0.1

Cotton

**33

15.4

*960

0.4

*24

2.5

0.0

Other crops

173

4.9

1,827

0.2

*842

46.1

0.1

Other industries

63

1.7

3,124

0.2

*2,111

67.6

0.1

Total non-irrigated farms

15,530

15.4

1,831,067

0.4

770,653

42.1

0.2

Total agriculture

19,579

13.9

1,968,606

0.4

821,022

41.7

0.2

(a) Farms with land showing signs of salinity as a proportion of total farms in the industry. Source for the denominator is data from the ABS 2001 Agricultural Census. The denominator is either total irrigated farms or total non-irrigated farms, as per irrigated/non-irrigated farm split in table.(b) Land showing signs of salinity as a proportion of total farm land in the industry. Source for the denominator is data from the ABS 2001 Agricultural Census. The denominator is either total irrigated farms or total non-irrigated farms, as per irrigated/non-irrigated farm split in table.(c) Salinised land unable to be used for production as a proportion of land showing signs of salinity.(d) Salinised land unable to be used for production as a proportion of total farm land in the industry. Source for the denominator is data from the ABS 2001 Agricultural Census. The denominator is either total irrigated farms or total non-irrigated farms, as per irrigated/non-irrigated farm split in table.

Source: Salinity on Australian Farms, 2002 (4615.0).

Salinity management practices have been implemented on nearly 30,000 farms, including on just over 7,000 irrigated farms that changed irrigation practices for salinity management purposes. Various activities are being used by farmers to manage or prevent salinity with the type of management adopted dependent on the nature of the farm. For example, cattle farmers adopt practices different from those used by orchardists. The main salinity management strategies used by farmers to manage or prevent salinity were: planting crops, pastures and fodder plants (e.g. lucerne, deep rooted perennials and saltbush); fencing off saline areas; planting trees; and building earthworks such as drains (table 24.18).

24.18 SALINITY MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES(a) - May 2002

Crops, pastures and
fodder plants

Trees

Land fenced
from grazing

Earthworks

ha

ha

ha

km

New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory

1,095,711

91,424

17,227

42,557

Victoria

*679,820

39,696

40,147

37,469

Queensland

331,204

125,862

*26,612

14,635

South Australia

452,028

14,443

28,788

*12,633

Western Australia

633,398

499,670

352,018

97,900

Tasmania

*7,264

4,562

1,370

*2,700

Northern Territory

*5,973

303

10

*65

Australia

3,205,398

775,960

466,174

207,959

(a) Any land management practice undertaken wholly or partly for the management or prevention of salinity.

Source: Salinity on Australian Farms, 2002 (4615.0).

The main motivations for implementing salinity management practices were for farm sustainability (66% of farmers implementing change indicated this was of high importance), environmental protection (56%), and to increase or maintain agricultural production (54%) (table 24.19).

24.19 REASONS FOR CHANGING LAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES(a) - May 2002

Not a reason

Low importance

Medium importance

High importance

Total

Reason

%

%

%

%

%

Increased productivity

18.6

6.7

20.5

54.2

100.0

Increased land value

28.8

15.4

27.7

28.1

100.0

Improved risk management

33.2

12.1

25.8

28.9

100.0

Farm sustainability

13.5

*3.9

16.3

66.3

100.0

Improved environment protection

12.6

5.1

26.8

55.6

100.0

Other

-

*0.7

**22.5

76.9

100.0

(a) Farms managing for salinity and/or with land showing signs of salinity that have changed land management practices because of salinity or to prevent salinity.

Source: Salinity of Australian Farms, 2002 (4615.0).

The main barriers to changing land management practices were lack of financial resources and lack of time (35% and 21% of farmers, respectively, reporting these as very limiting). Lack of information or doubts about likely success were not considered by the majority of farmers to be barriers to change (only 6% and 7% of farmers respectively reported these as very limiting) (table 24.20).

24.20 BARRIERS TO CHANGING LAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES(a) - May 2002

Not a factor

Not very limiting

Limiting

Very limiting

Total

Barrier

%

%

%

%

%

Lack of financial resources

23.8

7.9

32.8

35.5

100.0

Lack of time

29.7

13.4

36.1

20.8

100.0

Insufficient or inadequate information

52.1

24.8

17.4

5.8

100.0

Doubts about likely success

51.8

23.1

18.3

6.8

100.0

Age or poor health

70.6

12.5

10.3

6.6

100.0

Other

-

7.8

20.1

72.1

100.0

(a) Farms managing for salinity and/or with land showing signs of salinity.

Source: Salinity on Australian Farms, 2002 (4615.0).

The Australian, and state and territory governments have adopted the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP). The NAP has identified 21 high priority regions throughout Australia (map 24.21). Farms within the NAP regions account for 17,000 farms or 87% of total farms showing signs of salinity and 1.3 million ha or 66% of the total area showing signs of salinity. The proportion of salinity affected farms within each region varies, with the most affected regions in southern Western Australia and in the lower reaches of the Murray-Darling basin (map 24.21).

The 2002 Land Management and Salinity Survey produced estimates for both irrigated and non-irrigated farms at the NAP region level. Tables 24.22 and 24.23 show the extent of land showing signs of salinity on irrigated and non-irrigated farms, by NAP region. Overall, the NAP region most affected by salinity was Avon (Western Australia) with 2,279 farms and 450,000 ha showing signs of salinity.

Almost 80% of farms and 90% of the farm area showing signs of salinity within the NAP regions is non-irrigated, which is expected given the NAP was established to address dryland salinity. However, the amount of salinity covered by the NAP regions varies between irrigated and non-irrigated farms. While 94.8% of all irrigated land with salinity is within the NAP regions, only 64% of non-irrigated land with salinity is within these regions.

24.22 IRRIGATED FARMS WITH LAND SHOWING SIGNS OF SALINITY, By NAP region - May 2002

Non-irrigated
farms with
land showing
signs of
salinity

Proportion
of total
non-irrigated
farms in NAP
region(a)

Land
showing
signs of
salinity

Proportion
of total
non-irrigated
farm area
in NAP
region(b)

Salinised
land unable
to be
used for
production

Proportion
of land
showing
signs of
salinity(c)

Proportion
of total
irrigated
farm area
in NAP
region(d)

no.

%

ha

%

ha

%

%

Avoca-Loddon-Campaspe

777

39.1

30,217

4.3

9,813

32.5

1.4

Avon

18

73.6

*808

8.9

*693

85.8

7.6

Border Rivers

*13

1.7

n.a.

-

n.a.

n.a.

0.3

Burdekin-Fitzroy

*56

4.0

*1,110

0.1

*835

75.2

0.1

Condamine-Balonne-Maranoa

*31

2.8

*531

0.0

*48

9.0

-

Darwin-Katherine

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Glenelg-Hopkins-Corangamite

60

8.7

1,283

0.8

*379

29.5

0.2

Goulburn-Broken

283

9.3

3,237

0.6

879

27.2

0.2

Lachlan-Murrumbidgee

353

14.6

*17,140

0.6

1,983

11.6

0.1

Lockyer-Burnett-Mary

87

3.3

693

0.1

*266

38.4

-

Lower Murray

539

11.1

36,001

1.8

18,973

52.7

0.9

Macquarie-Castlereagh

*62

9.6

*2,006

0.3

**1,022

51.0

0.1

Midlands

130

15.1

2,256

0.4

449

19.9

0.1

Mt. Lofty-Kangaroo Island-Northern Agricultural District

*550

24.2

7,979

2.8

*2,533

31.8

0.9

Murray

202

12.2

8,361

0.4

1,685

20.2

0.1

Namoi-Gwydir

*51

8.1

*1,933

0.3

*50

2.6

-

Northern Agricultural District

*10

7.8

**1,089

1.8

**1,045

96.0

1.8

Ord

*9

12.2

*88

0.4

**20

22.7

0.1

South Coast

74

40.3

1,341

1.5

642

47.9

0.7

South East

*57

5.4

*10,770

1.6

1,109

10.3

0.2

South West

112

8.9

3,422

1.4

774

22.6

0.3

Total NAP

3,473

12.5

130,361

0.7

47,408

36.4

0.3

Total non-NAP

576

4.8

7,178

0.2

2,961

41.3

0.1

Australia

4,049

10.2

137,539

0.6

50,369

36.6

0.2

(a) Irrigated farms with land showing signs of salinity as a proportion of total irrigated farms in the NAP region/Australia. Source for the denominator is data from the ABS 2001 Agricultural Census.(b) Land showing signs of salinity as a proportion of total irrigated farm area in the NAP region/Australia. Source for the denominator is data from the ABS 2001 Agricultural Census.(c) Salinised land unable to be used for production as a proportion of land showing signs of salinity.(d) Salinised land unable to be used for production as a proportion of total irrigated farm area in the NAP region/Australia. Source for the denominator is data from the ABS 2001 Agricultural Census.

Source: Salinity on Australian Farms, 2002 (4615.0).

24.23 NON-IRRIGATED FARMS WITH LAND SHOWING SIGNS OF SALINITY, By NAP region - May 2002

Non-irrigated
farms with
land showing
signs of
salinity

Proportion
of total
non-irrigated
farms
in NAP
region(a)

Land
showing
signs of
salinity

Proportion
of total
non-irrigated
farm area
in NAP
region(b)

Salinised
land unable
to be
used for
production

Proportion
of land
showing
signs of
salinity(c)

Proportion
of total
irrigated
farm area
in NAP
region(d)

no.

%

ha

%

ha

%

%

Avoca-Loddon-Campaspe

*477

19.0

8,351

0.6

3,122

37.4

0.2

Avon

2,279

79.9

450,236

5.8

284,371

63.2

3.6

Border Rivers

*137

5.0

n.a.

0.2

n.a.

n.a.

0.3

Burdekin-Fitzroy

*96

3.0

**35,244

0.2

**19,656

55.8

0.1

Condamine-Balonne-Maranoa

*132

2.6

**27,713

0.2

**2,133

7.7

-

Darwin-Katherine

1

0.9

2,023

-

2,023

100.0

-

Glenelg-Hopkins-Corangamite

1,378

19.7

30,047

1.2

9,967

33.2

0.4

Goulburn-Broken

229

9.2

4,195

0.5

845

20.1

0.1

Lachlan-Murrumbidgee

1,124

14.8

*29,620

0.4

3,508

11.8

0.1

Lockyer-Burnett-Mary

168

3.8

*1,196

-

*650

54.4

-

Lower Murray

1,119

18.9

74,734

0.4

36,752

49.2

0.2

Macquarie-Castlereagh

435

8.4

6,988

0.1

*2,519

36.1

-

Midlands

*188

16.0

*2,583

0.4

**885

34.3

0.1

Mt. Lofty-Kangaroo Island-Northern Agricultural District

1,451

28.4

*51,469

1.2

**22,751

44.2

0.5

Murray

104

5.8

*3,244

0.2

468

14.4

-

Namoi-Gwydir

226

6.9

*4,901

0.2

*652

13.3

-

Northern Agricultural District

868

59.2

151,944

2.8

91,391

60.2

1.7

Ord

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

South Coast

1,354

63.6

73,618

2.4

42,242

57.4

1.4

South East

209

13.8

50,631

4.9

*9,250

18.3

0.9

South West

1,681

50.0

153,150

5.3

78,522

51.3

2.7

Total NAP

13,658

19.8

1,171,475

0.9

623,708

53.2

0.5

Total non-NAP

1,873

5.9

659,592

0.2

146,945

22.3

0.1

Australia

15,530

15.4

1,831,067

0.4

770,653

42.1

0.2

(a) Non-irrigated farms with land showing signs of salinity as a proportion of total non-irrigated farms in the NAP region/Australia. Source for the denominator is data from the ABS 2001 Agricultural Census.(b) Land showing signs of salinity as a proportion of total non-irrigated farm area in the NAP region/Australia. Source for the denominator is data from the ABS 2001 Agricultural Census.(c) Salinised land unable to be used for production as a proportion of land showing signs of salinity.(d) Salinised land unable to be used for production as a proportion of total non-irrigated farm area in the NAP region/Australia. Source for the denominator is data from the ABS 2001 Agricultural Census.

Source: Salinity on Australian Farms, 2002 (4615.0).

Comparisons with other data

Farmer assessments of the extent of salinity may differ from assessments made by scientific means, but are an indication of the level of salinity occurring on farms that can be provided rapidly and cost-effectively. The results from the 2002 Land Management and Salinity Survey show a lower level of saline land than other sources (table 24.24). Factors most likely to be contributing to differences are the different concepts, assessment methods and coverage used in each study. While farmers’ perceptions of the area will differ from scientific assessments, they are more or less consistent with the other studies, in terms of the relative area affected by salinity in each state and territory. In all studies, Western Australia is the state most affected by salinity and Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania are the least affected.

It is important to note that the 2002 Land Management and Salinity Survey provides information for agricultural land only. Agricultural land occupies approximately 456 million ha, representing 59% of land use in Australia, but salinity and salinity management also occur on non-agricultural land. Non-agricultural land was out of scope for the 2002 Land Management and Salinity Survey.

24.24 AREA AFFECTED BY SALINITY, Comparison of ABS results with other estimates

PMSEIC 1999

NLWRA 2001

ABS 2002

Area of salinity affected land(a)

Area at risk of
salinity(b)

Area showing signs of salinity(c)

'000 ha

'000 ha

'000 ha

New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory

120

181

124

Victoria

120

670

138

Queensland

10

n.a.

106

South Australia

402

390

*350

Western Australia

1,802

4,363

1,241

Tasmania

20

54

6

Northern Territory

-

-

2

Australia

2,476

5,658

1,969

(a) As determined by experts.(b) As estimated from water table heights.(c) As reported by farmers.